Oxygen tent unit



Dec. 11*, 1945. D. J. COHN OXYGEN TENT UNIT 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 2o, 1942 IN VEN TOR. fiaz/zk/d 60/2/2 Dec. 11, 1945.

D. J. COHN OXYGEN PE NT UNIT 3 Shets-Sheet 5 Filed March 20, 1942 Patented Dec. 11, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE i 7 OXYGEN TENT UNIT I David J. Cohn, Chicago, Ill. Application March 20, 1942', Serial No. 435,443

2* Claims.

M-y invention relates to oxygen tents. It relates more in particular to an improved oxygen tent unit having many' advantages, over oxygen tent units heretofore. known, but which, nevertheless, is adapted to be utilized as a device for infant therapy.

In my copending application, Serial No. 211,- 540, filed June 3, 1938, (Patent No. 2,270,072,,issued March 24, 1942), I' disclosed an improved oxygen tent combination, including a novel unit from which a canopy is adapted to be supported to form a so-called oxygen tent. While the oxygen tent of my copending application in actual use in hospitals. and homes has been found to possess many marked advantages over oxygen tents known before its invention, continued day by day use has enabled me to improve certain of its features.

My present invention, therefore, may be considered as representing an improvement over the oxygen tent shown in my copending application, particularly in that many of the parts are simplified, the relative costs of manufacture are reduced and many structurally relatively minor but functionally very important features have been introduced. In general, the improvements in my present oxygen tent will be made apparent as the description progresses. I wish to point out, at this time, however, that in accordance with one aspect of my present invention, I provide an oxygen tent unit suitable for the treatment of adults; the unit being of a type to support a canopy to enclose the patient, and so constructed that by: the use of simple associated apparatus it may be converted into a unit for treating infants, all as will be more particularly pointed out.

Details, objects and features of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following description, taken with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view showing one embodiment of an oxygen tent constructed in accordance with my invention, the canopy being broken away to conserve space;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows (the section may also be thought of as being taken along the line 22 of Fig. 3)

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a. view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the parts in a modifiedposition, the construction of. one of the parts. also being modified this particularfigure;

Fig. 6.- shows. the unit of Fig; lassociated. with a base to. provide an infant therapy unit:

Fig. 7 is, a transverse sectional view through the entire device shown in Fig; 6,.

Fig. 8 is a: longitudinal sectional view" showing; still another; arrangement; for the. treatment. of infants, and

Fig. .9 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a modified structure ofFig. 1.

I. shall first refer to Figs. 1. to 5, inclusive... disclosing an embodiment of, the; invention comprising a unit adapted for the, treatment of adults, it being understood, however, that: the size of the. unit may vary without departing from. the spirit. and stopeof the invention in any way.

The.- unit comprises an, outer shell including end members H and I2 connected together by siderods, 13. and I4 and tie rods t6 and i1, at. least one of which; comprises a pipe extending to the outside of the shell and. adapted to: be provided with suitable apertures for the intro-' ductionof oxygen. Extending around in the. general form of a semicircular arc is aside mem ber l8 which is preferably'made of a single walled. insulating material such as Lucite or other transparent plastic- A refrigerant container l8. preferably of polygonal (in a broad sense tomean.

more than two sided) cross section, and in. thepreferred embodiment of; square cross section is,- supported. by a block 2.1 having a circular exteraior and adapted to fit within the end member: I l., the end member I I including. a relatively thick block or panel 22 which, assists in affording, a. bearing surface for the supporting block, 2|. The. construction and arrangement of parts is such. that the supporting block 2!, aswell as therefrigerant container I9, may be rotated about a. longitudinal axis, An axial supporting rod 23 projecting from the end of. thecontainer 19. en gages in a, journal carried, by the end member The container I19 preferably utilizes a.solid,re-. frigerant such as. dry ice 2.6 which may be furnished to have a length substantially equalto that portion of the container effective to. cause a reduction in the temperature of the tent atmosphere, anda cross sectionso as. initially substantially to correspond to the cross sectionalinner dimensions of the container. Radial fins 21 ex-- tend. around three sides-of, the container l9, and.

end fins 28 are also provided substantially-pawn lel with the unfinned side.- of thecontainern The; unfinned side of the container. preferably, also is,

provided with a layer of insulation 29, although the oxygen tent of my invention may be employed to advantage without this layer of insulation. A removable cover 3I is provided whereby to permit introduction of the refrigerant into the container I9. Below the container I9 I provide a drip pan drain for the pan 33. It will be noted from aninspection of Figs. 2 and 4 that while the drip pan 33 is symmetrical in its position, the drip I pan 322 is slightly higher on one side than the other. This provides an effect whereby the passageway indicated by the dotted line (a) is higher than the passageway indicated by the dotted line (b) with the result that intake and outlet positions are established and circulation of tent atmosphere will be in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2 through the generally annular space between the outer shell and refrigerant container. i

The unit is adapted to be held by a support 37 in the manner indicated, this support preferably being arranged in such a way that the unit is carried directly over the head of a patient in the manner indicated'in my copending application.

A ridge 38 is formed entirely around the lower portion of the unit so that a canopy 39, preferably formed of a transparent material such as Cellophane, Pliofilm or the like, may readily be supported from the unit. While the canopy 39 and transparent side member I8 are shown as comprising separate members, I have found that I may shape the canopy so as to entirely cover the top of the unit in which case a separate side member I B is not necessarily employed. This manner of construction is referred to more fully later.

In Fig. 5, I show a modification wherein a' drip pan I32, corresponding in shape and function to the drip pan 32, is supported by a pair of end members I35 (only one appearing in the drawing) said members I35 being pivoted to the end members II and I2 of the shell in the manner indicated in the drawing. Thus, the structure, as it involves the relation between the outer shell and the drip pan, may be controlled, and the movement of tent atmosphere over the dry ice container may, in part, be controlled.

The operation of the unit as hereinabove described is as follows:

The oxygen tent, including the unit and canopy, being properly assembled and placed over a patient, the container I9 is rotated to a position to cause the desired amount of circulation of tent atmosphere. When the container I9 is in the position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the minimum cooling effect is obtained because the dry ice 26 is resting upon the unfinned side of the container.

The presence of the insulation 29 still further decreases the cooling effect, but it will be seen that even without the insulation 29, there is less cooling dueto the fact that the side supporting the dry ice is not provided with fins. Figs. 4 and indicate other positions of the container, in each of which the cooling action is greater than when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1.

Generally speaking, I have found the maximum cooling action to occur when the container is in approximately the position shown in Fig. 5. Oxygen may, of course, be introduced from a suitable oxygen tank, using the structure provided for the purpose.

Continued use of the oxygen tent for a period of time causes a frostin of the container, particularly of the fins 21 and 28. Since the entire cooling unit may be removed, I have found that, in general, it is neither necessary nor desirable to defrost while the unit is in position over a patient. In the event any accumulated frost should melt, while the unit is over a patient, it is obvious that the liquid resulting from such melting will drain off through the drip pan assembly in an obvious manner and be discharged at the outer exposed end of the pipe 36. Due to the fact that the double spaced drip pan arrangement is employed, there will be no accumulation of moisture such as would cause dripping onto the patient whether because of defrosting or dueto the accumulation of moisture which occurs as surfaces are cooled when the unit is first placed in operation.

As previously noted, the entire refrigerant container may be removed from the oxygen tent unit, and this arrangement is provided not only for the purpose of permitting defrosting exteriorlyof the tent, but also to permit the utilization of the unit for infant therapy in the manner illustrated in Figures 6, 7 and 8.

As shown in Fig. 1, the oxygen tent unit is adapted to be placed on a base 4! comprising a compartment 42 with a cover 43 through which the journal 26.

openings M are provided. A fluid carrying coil 45 is provided within the compartment 32 with inlet and outlet pipes 43 connected thereto. The base M is provided with spring clamps 49 so that the base may be releasably secured to the oxygen tent unit.

Within the unit itself, I place a cradle 5i having hinged sideextensions 52, the cradle being provided with a supporting pin 53 insertable in An extension 5| of the cradle supports it at the opening which would normally receive the block 2|, thus, the cradle maybe supported in position by first folding the side exten sions 52 inwardly, and after the cradle is in position lowering the side extensions to the positions indicated whereby to comprise parts of the cradle itself. The opening through which the cradle is introduced may be partially closed by any suitable means such as a. curtain or sterile cloth.

Thus, I provide therapy apparatus for an infantwhich may comprise both an oxygen administering device as well as an incubator. The temperature may be controlled by any suitable instrument such as a thermostat of the bi-metallic strip type. Such instruments as are employed may be placed within the tent or exterior thereof, as desired. In general, since the device will be employed in a. room where ordinary room temperatures will prevail, very desirable operating co-ndi-- tions are maintained if the temperature of the fluid entering the coil 46 is thermostaticall controlled. The use of a transparent side wall I8 is obviously of very great advantage when the unit is employed for infant therapy in the manner described.

The oxygen tent unit may be converted to infant therapy apparatus of various types, depending upon what is wanted; and in Fig. 8, I indicate an arrangement wherein the unit comprises an infant respirator. The same base 4| may be emplcyed as shown in Fig. 6. A cradle 55 is provided having an extension 51, the cradle and extension carrying ring members 53 and 59 between which a resilient apertured partition El is clamped. This permits the infant's body to be supported on the cradle 56 with its head on the extension 5'! and the resilient partition 6! will substantially seal the compartment by extending around the infants neck. A connection 62 is provided in the base to which a motor mechanism (not shown) may be connected for alternatively increasing and decreasing the pressure within the unit.

In Fig. 9 I show a construction wherein the side member of the shell comprises a portion H8 of the canopy itself. The structure otherwise may be the same as illustrated in Fig. 1, and I utilize in Fig. 9, the same numerals as employed in Fig. 1, with, however, the prefix one (1) before them.

My invention is subject to certain modifications within the scope of the claims as will be clear to those skilled in the art. The dry ice container is preferably square but it may take other shapes. There are two factors which determine the cooling effect, namely, the extent to which the dry ice or other refrigerant cools the portions of the container carrying the fins (relative contact with the unfinned portions, for example) and the extent to which the cooled fins are brought in contact with moving tent atmosphere. While I may construct the oxygen tent of my invention to utilize either or both principles, and, therefore,

may employ various constructions, the simple arrangement of the drawings has been found in practice to be very satisfactory.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In an oxygen tent unit of the character described, an outer shell and a container for a solid refrigerant, said container having a cross section comprising a number of sides and being so supported within said shell as to be rotatable about its longitudinal axis, exterior fins on at least part of the sides of the container and at least one side being without fins, said shell and container being so constructed and arranged as to provide a generally annular circulation space with intake and outlet positions for tent atmosphere, the cooling effect of the refrigerant being controlled by the position of the said container.

2. In an oxygen tent unit of the character described, an outer shell, and a container for a solid refrigerant, said container being square in cross section, three sides having exteriorly projecting fins and one side being without fins, whereby the cooling effect of a solid refrigerant within the container is determined at least in part by the manner in which the same engages said sides, a heat insulator for said unfinned side, and means including an axial bearing for rotatably supporting said container to permit rotation of said \container about its longitudinal axis.

DAVID J. COI-IN. 

